Responsibilities to the General Public

Businesses have responsibilities to the general public including dealing with public health issues, protecting the environment, and developing the quality of the work force.

Public health issues. Public health concerns include – but are not limited to – issues such as smoking, substance and alcohol abuse, and AIDS. Drugs and alcohol abuse are serious public health problems. Motor vehicle accidents are a major killer, and many serious crashes are caused by drunk drivers. For these reasons, public opposition to alcohol advertising is growing steadily. Many consumers view both alcohol and tobacco advertising as social irresponsible. Some brewers have tried to counter these arguments by sponsoring advertising campaigns that promote moderation. AIDS represents a different type of challenge to business; while no one accuses industry of causing AIDS, firms nonetheless must deal with its consequences. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a fatal disease that breaks down the body’s ability to defend itself against illness and infection. The rapid spread of AIDS means that companies will increasingly find themselves educating their employees about it and dealing with employees who have the deadly disease. Do companies have the right to test potential employees for the AIDS virus? This is a difficult question in which a business must balance the rights of individuals against the rights of society in general.

Protecting the environment. Ecology and environmental issues continue to be important to the public. Ecology – the study of the relationships between living things and their environment – is nowadays a legal as well as a societal issue for managers to consider. Pollution – tainting or destroying a natural environment – is a major ecological problem today. Every time we throw away a plastic box, a newspaper, or a glass bottle, we are adding to the world’s trash problem. Garbage just never seems to die. In such situation an important solution is recycling – reproducing used materials so they can be reused. Recycling could provide much of the raw materials we need for manufacturing, but we need to do a lot more of it.

Developing the Quality of the Work Force. In the past, a nation’s wealth often has been thought to consist of its money, production equipment, or natural resources. A country’s true wealth, however, lies in its people; an educated, skilled work force. It is becoming increasingly clear that, in order to remain competitive, a business must assume to more responsibility for developing the quality of its work force. Companies also must encourage employees to learn new skills both to help themselves and to help the company remain competitive.

(Based on: media records)

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

advertising expenditure (expenses) business conduct   business ethics competitor consumer customer donations and grants earning a profit entrepreneur enterprise final (end) product firm’s revenues and expenses fiscal accounting flourishing firm foodstuff general public GNP (Gross National Product) governmental agency   good value intangible goods mediator (middleman) membership fee nonproductive/nonproduction sphere non-profit organization on one’s own risk and responsibility (account) overwhelming majority per-capita private enterprise system profit profitability target sales volume (result); volume of sales satellite communications service objective share of the market social responsibility standard of living   subpurchaser supplier supply and demand tangible goods technology to cover one’s costs to earn the profit to enter the market to improve standards of living to provide goods and services to secure sufficient revenues   to start the business to run the business suction (vacuum) cleaner (vacuum) want-satisfying goods and services

расходы на рекламу ведение дела (осуществление предпринимательской деятельности) нормы деловой этики конкурент потребитель (покупатель) заказчик, покупатель, клиент пожертвования и субсидии извлечение прибыли бизнесмен, делец, предприниматель предпринимательство (предприятие) конечный продукт доходы и расходы компании финансовый учет процветающее дело (компания) продукты питания широкая общественность валовой национальный продукт правительственный (государственный) орган, исполнительная власть стоимость товара нематериальные товары (услуги) посредник вступительный (членский) взнос непроизводственная сфера (экономики) некоммерческая организация на свой риск и под свою ответственность   подавляющее большинство на душу населения, на человека частное предпринимательство прибыль (доход) цель извлечения прибыли объем продаж спутниковая связь задача по предоставлению услуг доля рынка социальная ответственность жизненный уровень, уровень жизни; материальное благосостояние перекупщик поставщик спрос и предложение (на рынке товаров и услуг) материальные (реальные, физические) товары технология покрывать расходы (затраты) извлекать (получать) прибыль выходить на рынок (входить в рынок) повышать уровень благосостояния предоставлять товары и услуги получать доходы, достаточные для покрытия затратной части предприятия создание (учреждение) бизнеса (предприятия) ведение (осуществление) бизнеса пылесос удовлетворяющие спрос товары и услуги

IV. Translate the following texts from Russian into English and be ready for its discussion on the basis of active vocabulary, key terms quiz, review and discussion questions.